Through a Nightmare Darkly
by Vrik
Summary: The story of Ganondorf, told in all it's unholy glory from the vantage point of a mysterious author.
1. Prologue to Ignorance

**Summary: **The Story of Ganondorf, told in all it's Unholy Glory.

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**Through a Nightmare Darkly**

**Chapter 1: Prologue of Ignorance**

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_Ganondorf…a name that strikes fear into the hearts of men. We, the people of Hyrule, have come to know this man as the Ultimate Evil, the Scourge of the Earth, the Wrath of the Gods, an immortal being that will forever plague our children's dreams. But even the Ultimate Evil has a beginning…a childhood…a life._

_For he was never always evil. Most people don't know this. The ignorance of people can be unfathomable at times. We write him off as a man with no morals, no care for people, families, or friends…but the question remains: How was this caused?_

_The answer…closer than we think. For we see it everyday of our lives. When we talk to our friends, love our lovers, feed our children. For whenever you look into the eyes of a Hyrulian…there the answer lies. Us. As shocking and disturbing as it sounds, that is the reason. Us. We brought upon ourselves the Destruction of a Thousand Wraths. Us. The neglectful, spiteful people that we are. Judging all others as lowly barbarians who have no chance to ever gain civility. Us…us…us..._

_This book will hopefully reveal the undeniable truth of us Hyrulians. For I can no longer stand the injustices that are brought forth by us. The ignorance, the stupidity, malice, hate, and spite can longer be accepted by us Hyrulians as __adequate_ behavior. We see ourselves as noble beings, the closest race to the Gods. But it is not they who are barbarians…it is us.

_In the following pages, the story of Ganondorf will unfold. I warn you this…this is not a story that is to be taken lightly. It shows why he became evil, in all its misery and wretchedness. You ask: How do I know this? Well…everything will be explained in due time, my friend. In due time._

_For now, this is his story…_

--

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own any Zelda related characters / places / themes / etc.. Only _original_ names, characters, themes, and places.


	2. The Hundred Year Old Tradition

**Chapter Overview**: This chapter's mainly an introduction to Ganondorf and his kingdom.

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**Through a Nightmare Darkly**

**Chapter 2: The Hundred Year Old Tradition**

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_The Gerudo legends tell us that every 100 years a boy is born, to lead to their secluded kingdom to happiness and prosperity. Such a time is tonight. This is where our story begins…_

--

A baby's cry, piercing the cool night air, traveled throughout the entire Gerudo kingdom, with each Gerudo wondering if this was the boy that was to be born. For you see, there were three pregnant women in the kingdom. Each one wanting to have the honor of bearing a boy. The woman giving birth was Namira, and as fate had it, she bore a healthy, strong baby boy.

"It's a boy," the mid-wife whispered. "A boy! Here Namira, my child, your beautiful son!"

Everyone in the room was awestruck. To look at their future leader brought upon a gamut of emotion. Namira gazed into the eyes of her child and smiled tenderly. "Bring him to Vusatunell," Namira said softly.

The mid-wife tenderly picked up the boy and brought him to their current leader, Vusatunell, as to decide the boy's name. The once powerful Gerudo king now lies on his death-bed, awaiting the child. As Gerudo law states, only the king may name the new-born child and, after giving the child a name, he passes into the afterlife.

The mid-wife propped the baby up in her hands. The king lightly put his and on the boy's leg. "The boy shall be called," a weak and decrepit voice escaped from the king, "Zantorian." With that, the old king's hand fell from the baby's leg and his last breath was drawn.

Everyone in the room bowed their head to the old king to pay final respects. The mid-wife then left the room and returned the child to Namira. "The child's name is Zantorian."

Namira let out a comforted sigh, "Zantorian…my little Zant."

Word soon spread around the kingdom. The name of their new leader was on all of their lips.

--

_And thus is the birth of Ganondorf…or should I say Zantorian. That's right. His real name. Skipping a few years ahead, Zantorian is now 10 years old. Only five short years until the…incident. But you'll find out about that later on. Zantorian is now nearly fully immersed in his studies to be a king. Swordsmanship, strategy, diplomacy, and economics…all instilled into the fragile mind of a 10 year old. But Zantorian is no ordinary child. As you will soon see…_

--

Zantorian stepped out from the classroom out into the open space of his home. The once crumbling and old buildings were now being rebuilt, under Zantorian's orders of course. For a mere child, the kingdom had never been more prosperous. Food productions were doubled, living and schooling standards increased, and trade with neighboring kingdoms nearly tripled. The treasury overflowed with gold from Hyrule and priceless gems from Termina, and what little precious stone that was found in the desert was now being imported from the Gorons under the oath of a treaty. Zantorian achieved what the kings of Hyrule would take a lifetime to achieve in only three short years. He could even rival the greatest rulers Hyrule has ever known.

The young boy, dressed in his usual tan pants and black sleeveless shirt, stood less than five feet tall. His red hair, representative for all Gerudo's, fell down shoulder length and his tan skin made him blend in with the Gerudo's. Only his masculine features made him stick out. Though he was a great ruler, he also was a typical 10 year old boy, like the boys in Hyrule: wanting to play instead of learn. Though the child in him wanted to play and have fun, the king in him knew that he couldn't. The king part of him always won. Suppressing childhood desires and keeping him wise, disciplined, and level-headed.

He left the shade from the school and headed home. The once quiet streets of his home were now bustling with merchants from all over the kingdom. Zantorian despised the secludedness of his home and began to open it to outsiders. Slowly, of course, any drastic change could upset his people. Any _good_ king would know this. He accomplished all this while still maintaining their heritage. The Gerudo women would still learn how to be deadly soldiers and their guards were still put on patrol, but they were now on roof tops. As to have a better vantage point to keep an eye one the outsiders. Plus the streets were too crowded.

He arrived at his home and nodded to the two guards posted at the entrance to his house. "Mom, I'm home," Zantorian called out as he pushed back the curtained entrance to his home. An archetypal Gerudo home holds two rooms. The first one is a combination of a greeting room, sitting room, and an eating room. The second room is always used for sleeping. A home can accommodate two to five people, depending on how may want to stay in one home. Zantorian chose not to live in the palace yet, not liking the fulsome state of it.

"How was school?" Namira asked while leaving the second room. Namira wasn't one of the usual Gerudo women. She was one of the few that was exempt from becoming a soldier. There were four jobs in the Gerudo land: builders, soldiers, farmers, and birth mothers. The jobs came in pairings. If the women was a soldier, she was also a builder. If they were farmers, they were birth mothers as well. The women that were exempt from being soldiers usually appeared weak at birth.

"Boring…as usual." He replied dully.

"Well, it has to be done. And you only have a year left before to fully become king."

"I know, I know. And that incompetent emissary from Hyrule is coming tomorrow." Zantorian groaned. _"I hate dealing with those idiots," _he thought.

"I know Zant, but that's one of your responsibilities now. You should get some rest, though. Most people get tired by just listening to them. I can only imagine what it's like to talk to one."

"You're right. Goodnight Mom."

--

_Most people believe that people are born evil. That is never the case. It is man that instills evil in others. Tomorrows' meeting is essentially the beginning of the end. I can't even describe the meeting in my own words, only the words that were given to me. The idiocy of the king of Hyrule and the emissary…is completely unbelievable and unimaginable._

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own any Zelda related characters / places / themes / etc.. Only _original_ names, characters, themes, and places.


	3. The Corrupt King

**Through a Nightmare Darkly**

**Chapter 3: The Corrupt King**

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"Are you joking Lucius?" Zantorian's voice sounded throughout the Meeting Hall.

The Gerudo Meeting Hall was the biggest building in the entire Gerudo homeland, including the palace. The Hall was an enormous circular building with coliseum-type seating and a wooden table in the middle. The table was used for diplomats and dignitaries to discuss treaties or any discrepancies. The coliseum seating was for the Gerudo's. Under Zantorian's orders, there should be no secrets kept from fellow countrywomen; therefore, the Meeting Hall was built and completed in two short years and was opened to anyone who was curious about the meeting. Usually it was filled to full capacity every time there was meeting. The Gerudo people liked to take advantage of any new freedom Zantorian gave them.

The Hall was designed so that anyone sitting in it could hear what the diplomats were discussing; even a whisper could be heard. Most of the time, this fact, joint with the detail that it was open to the public, unnerved the diplomats, but Zantorian cared little for what the dignitaries thought. To make matters even worse, the desert heat, combined with the stark air of the Meeting Hall, did not make anything, to any further extent, more comfortable.

"No, I'm sorry Your Highness, but there is no other way," Lucius responded. Lucius was in his 50's and the advisor to the king of Hyrule. His hair had turned prematurely grey due to the stress of his job with a few scattered wrinkles on his face. Always running around, meeting emissaries, and visiting other countries made him look like he was mid-60. His chain-mail armor covered him from the bottom of his neck to his feet, except for his gloves that were lying on the table. On top of the armor, was a piece of white clothing that covered his torso. There were no sleeves to the fabric and it stopped at his knees with a slit at the middle / bottom of the fabric that went up to his upper thigh to give him more mobility. The middle of the material was emblazoned with the crest of Hyrule: a blue eagle with the golden Triforce above it. A sword hung at his left side and two of Hyrule's guards stood behind him.

"There's no reason that the king needs to place his guards in our lands," came Zantorian's reply.

"The king feels that the people…my country's people," he quickly corrected himself, "will be safer if _Hyrulian_ soldiers are here."

"They already feel safe enough to come into our lands, they don't need more protection." Zantorian grew more and more frustrated with each word exchanged with the advisor. "If Hyrulian soldiers are to be here, then Gerudo soldiers should be allowed in Hyrule."

"That's not the point we're trying to discuss here."

"Ugh…," he groaned. "What an idiot," he muttered under his breath. "Look Lucius, there is no common ground here. Just leave before it turns into something worse."

"But Your Highness –"

"Get out Lucius. Or have you forgotten that you're surrounded by hundreds of Gerudo's."

Lucius looked around the Meeting Hall. A few Gerudo women cracked their knuckles in anticipation. "Right…" Lucius said as he stood up, "I'll relay our, uh…meeting with the King. May the blessings of the Goddesses shine upon your people." Lucius turned around and walked out of the Meeting Hall with the two Hyrulian guards following him.

--

_The first of the two meetings Zantorian had with Lucius. As you can imagine, the second one didn't go any better. In fact, it was worse…much, much worse._

_The second meeting was held nearly five years later. Zantorian, now 15, again met with Lucius, but this time, they met in Hyrule Castle. By that time, the Gerudo Kingdom was the most prosperous one that the face of the world had ever seen and Hyrule was quickly growing jealous and envious of their neighbor. Zantorian has been crowned a full-fledged king for four years know, fully trained in the art of war, swordsmanship, and diplomacy. He even picked up some magic along the way, something that hasn't been done in the Gerudo homeland for thousands of years._

_He was essentially a well-rounded person. His personality could be as docile as a rabbit or as ferocious as a lion, his tongue was as sharp as his sword, he had the wisdom of an elderly man, and the knowledge of a scholar. In the eyes of his people, he was the ideal king._

_However, things slowly but surely changed. The second meeting is where it all fell apart, as you'll soon see…_

--

Zantorian sat in his chair at the palace, awaiting the arrival of Lucius. The palace wasn't as lavish as it used to be, Zantorian had always hated the ornate and lavish designs of it. Still, it was bigger that the average house, but only by three rooms. The main entrance was where the throne was placed. Columns lined the pathway down to the throne and a red carpet, lined with a gold fabric, guided the path. The four others rooms were: a sleeping room, a training room, a planning room, for battles or anything pertaining to the Gerudo society, and a kitchen. The sleeping and planning rooms were at the back of the palace, while the kitchen and training rooms were off the main antechamber.

He had long outgrown the old clothes he wore and was now dressed like a Gerudo King. His armor was compact and lightweight, but it was a unique set of armor. It offered the best protection around and when he would grow, the armor would grow with him; a one-size-fits-all gimmick. The armor was black with the Gerudo crest in the middle: a blood red dragon with one of its claws suspended in the air. His red cape flowed down to the ground and his scimitar was propped up against the arm of the throne.

His red hair had now grown down to his mid-back, but he did nothing to cut it or pull it back. His elbows were resting on the chair arms with his hands intertwined, on which he rested his nose and mouth. His hair covered most of his face, giving him a horrific and ominous look. Deep in thought, he patiently waited on Lucius.

Zantorian looked up to see Lucius stumble in the room. "Sorry I'm late," he huffed, "I was hung up at –"

"Forget it Lucius," Zantorian said, cutting him off. "Tell me Lucius, why are you here?" He had only received notice of Lucius' arrival the day before.

"Yes, well…," he said while clearing his throat, "The king of Hyrule, Dactus Nohansen Hyrule, has requested that you travel with me to the castle Hyrule and meet with him to discuss some pressing matters."

_Great, _Zantorian thought. "When is it?"

"He wants you there today."

Zantorian had long known that King Dactus had grown corrupt. His lust for power and money was almost legendary in the Gerudo homelands. Since the day he had grown corrupt, he had wanted the money the Gerudo's obtained, trying to cheat them or weaken them anyway possible. Zantorian knew that he had to go. If he didn't, he risked Dactus declaring war on the charges of treason. Even though the Gerudo's had an independent leader, they were still technically in the territory of Hyrule, something that every leader of the Gerudo Empire wanted to change.

He stood up from his throne. "Namura, you're in charge while I'm gone," he said to the guard standing next to him, his second-in-command. Namura was apart of the Elite Gerudo Guards, rumored to be the strongest guards in Hyrule, even before Zantorian. Their uniform was of white, instead of purple, as to distinguish them from regular Gerudo guards. She nodded and bowed in respect.

Zantorian followed Lucius out of the palace. Following them were two other Elite Gerudo Guards.

--

Lucius, Zantorian, and the two Elite Guards rode through Hyrule Market. Most of the people stopped to stare at the passer byres. It's not everyday you see the King's advisor leading the Gerudo King through the streets of Hyrule. Though, as soon as they entered the Market, they left it.

They continued down the long and winding road to the castle. Along the way, they passed the barracks and the throng of soldiers practicing. Unlike the Market, most of the soldiers ignored the group. However, there were a few new recruits that would point and whisper at them.

Zantorian laughed silently and shook his head. _Some of_ _these people are too tense. I don't know what that king is thinking or planning, but whatever it is, it won't work._

The group reached the drawbridge to the castle and dismounted their horses. "I'm sorry, but your guards are gonna have to stay outside," Lucius said. Zantorian nodded to the two guards and stepped into the castle, with the drawbridge closing behind him.

--

Zantorian walked through the winding halls of Hyrule Castle, with Lucius leading him. The Hyrulian Castle was the complete opposite of the Gerudo one. The ornate marble floors were accompanied by lavish paintings, luxurious suits of armor, and elaborate sculptures.

A red carpet laid out led the way to the Throne Room. On both sides of the carpet were sculptures; most of them depicting the three goddesses. No two sculptures were alike, however, with each one being done by a different artist, but the one similarity they had was that all were lined with jewels.

"Ah, King Zantorian, it's about time we finally met face to face!" King Dactus exclaimed in happiness as they walked into the Throne Room. Though as genuine as it may have sounded, Zantorian still caught the sarcasm in his voice. Lucius bowed to the King, "You may leave Lucius." Lucius bowed again and left without a word.

The Throne Room was the most beautified room Zantorian had ever seen. Two of elaborate paintings were behind the throne. The actual throne itself was made of solid gold embedded with all types of precious stones with red velvet for a cushion; a similar throne was next to the one the king was sitting in, but it was empty. The thrones were elevated off the ground by three steps. All of the windows in the room were stained glass windows, each depicting a previous king and his title. There were several doors in the hall, but all of the servants were instructed not to enter it today because of the meeting.

There were twelve of Hyrule's Elite Guard in the room; two next to the king while the others were lined up on the carpet leading to the throne. The guard's armor was a helmet that completely covered their eyes in shadow, but left their nose and mouth exposed. They wore chain mail, but over the chain mail was plate mail with Hyrule's crest in the middle of the chest piece. Each one held a spear, accompanied by a sword which hung on their left side.

"It's about time, Dactus…it's about time," Zantorian replied dryly.

"Yes, yes. Well, before we get down to business, how is everything going in your kingdom?" Dactus asked with an unusual amount of curiosity. The king, in his mid-60's, had an odd youthful characteristic about him. The King wore black boots that went up to his mid shin, while wearing black velvet pants. His shirt was an indigo-type color, with white sleeves, except for the cuffs of the shirt, which were the indigo color. A silver belt was used to hold his pants up and a crown, studded with jewels, sat atop his head. Surprisingly, for a king of his kind, he was thin.

Zantorian smiled, "I think you know how it's going Dactus." Zantorian walked closer to the thrones until he was at the bottom of the first step. "In case you don't, we're doing very well."

"That's good…that's good." Dactus seemed spellbound with Zantorian's kingdom. "As you may have heard, I've grown to be very fond of your kingdom. And honestly, I would do anything to control your kingdom…no offence to you, of course!" Zantorian nodded and Dactus continued. "But I know that one can't just simply waltz into a kingdom and take over. Certain…precautions must be taken."

Zantorian grew restless with each word that passed from this man's lips. "For you see Zantorian, a kingdom is like a snake. And, to defeat the snake, one must cut the head off and, woe and behold, fate has brought me the head."

As soon as Dactus said this, the two Elite Guards next to him moved in front of him and the others enclosed him in a semi-circle. All of the guards pointed their spears towards Zantorian.

"_Damnit!" _Zantorian mentally cursed.

Not waiting for the guards to make the first move, he grabbed the spear of the guard to the left of him, ripped the spear out of his hands, spun around, and bashed most of the soldiers behind him with the wooden part of the spear in the head, all in one fluid motion. He quickly jumped out of the circle and spun around, and threw the spear in his hand to the guard closest to the king, impaling him in the chest.

He pulled his scimitar from its sheath and posed himself in an attack stance. The rest of the guards dropped their spears and drew their swords, seeing now that their spears were useless. A daring soldier rushed Zantorian, but Zantorian jumped to the side and quickly decapitated the soldier.

Angered by the death of their comrade, two soldiers charged Zantorian. Zantorian parried the first soldiers attack, grabbed the second by the wrist, and hurled him to the side. The first soldier attacked again, but before he could bring his sword down, Zantorian thrust his scimitar through the man's abdomen. The second soldier recovered and bull-rushed Zantorian. Zantorian side-stepped and sliced the man down the back.

The soldiers were now uneasy about attacking the Gerudo king. He had bested four Elite Soldiers in nearly two minutes, but, despite their better judgment, they pressed on with the attack.

A lone soldier attacked Zantorian, but Zantorian jumped to the side, brought his sword up, snapping the man's arm. He twirled around and slashed him down the back. Once again, a lone soldier attacked, but this time, they locked blades. Zantorian twirled his scimitar around, throwing the soldiers blade to the side and stabbed him through the stomach.

With their numbers brought down to from twelve to six in less than five minutes, five of the men broke ranks and fled, but one brave soldier stayed behind. The soldier jumped towards Zantorian, but Zantorian caught his wrist, kneed him in the stomach, and ripped the sword from his hand. With an ungodly amount of force and strength, Zantorian hurled the sword in the direction of Dactus, piercing his left shoulder and somehow managing to make the sword pierce the golden throne. Zantorian turned back to the soldier, who, by now, was on his hands and knees gasping for air. Zantorian looked at the man, swung his sword until the blade was pointed down, and brought it down through the man's upper back.

Zantorian pulled his sword out of the man, turned around, and walked towards Dactus. "I don't think your plan worked to well." Dactus was bleeding profusely from his wound and writhed in pain. "You're lucky old man, I'll let you live." Zantorian herd reinforcements coming from one of the halls. Deciding that sticking around wasn't the best idea, he raced down the hall towards the exit.

--

It took Zantorian less than a minute to reach the castle drawbridge. He lowered it to see the two Elite Gerudo Guards fighting off the regular infantry soldiers. They were fairing pretty well, considering each one only had two daggers. About fifteen soldiers lay dead around them, but they were not without their own wounds. One had been shot through her left shoulder with an arrow and the other was sliced down her right thigh.

"Come on, let's go!" Zantorian shouted to them. They jumped on the horses that were behind the women and rode off, smashing though the ranks of soldiers with Zantorian slashing his sword widely, hitting a soldier each time he swung.

"What happened in there?!" one of the guards screamed over the chaos, but Zantorian didn't answer. Both guards saw the fury in his eyes and decided against talking to him at the moment.

By the time they reached the Gerudo kingdom, it was dusk. Shocked gasps and whispers came when people saw the wounded guards.

"What happened?" Namura asked in utter shock when they entered the palace.

"Dactus betrayed us!" Zantorian growled while walking into the planning room. "Prepare for war!"

--

_Thus it begins, the moment in which Hyrule doomed itself for destruction and chaos. The war that was started that day is what we Hyrulians know today as the Hyrulian Civil War. The war in which cost us many our parents, families, and friends, all from the simple act of betrayal. And it didn't just stop with the Hyrulians, no, it stretched across Hyrule to all of its corners…_

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Alright, sorry about the longwinded introductions, but, if you haven't guessed it by now, now is when the action starts.

Please Review!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any Zelda related characters / places / themes / etc.. Only _original_ names, characters, themes, and places.


	4. Only the Beginning

**Through a Nightmare Darkly**

**Chapter 4: Only the Beginning**

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Zantorian stood over the entrance to the Gerudo Kingdom. In front of him was the path to Hyrule and the twenty foot long gorge that was between the entrance to his city and Hyrule Field, with a bridge spanning it. He was standing on one of the two cliffs that lined the entrance to his home. Each wall stood thirty feet high and prevented more than five men, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, from squeezing into his kingdom through the narrow passage. Namura, his second-in-command, was standing by him.

"We should destroy the bridge," she suggested.

Zantorian nodded. He put up his right arm, with an open palm facing the bridge. His hand twitched slightly and the bridge burst into flames, most of it disintegrating in seconds. What was left of the bridge fell down into the ravine below.

Namura laughed silently, "Neat trick."

"It comes in handy sometimes," Zantorian replied and smiled. Most people forgot that a fifteen year old was leading a country, let alone leading a country to war. His six foot stature, shoulder length hair, and his Gerudo masculine features made him look like he was mid-20.

Over, at the entrance to Gerudo Valley, the first Hyrulian soldiers were passing into the Valley. "It looks like our guests are here," Zantorian commented. "What do say we prepare a welcoming gift?" he said mincingly, causing Namura smile.

They both turned around and began walking towards the Gerudo Kingdom, but Zantorian whipped around as soon as he began walking away. "What the hell is Garboll doing here?!" Zantorian asked, enraged. He jumped off the side of the cliff and walked to the edge of the chasm.

"Garboll!" he yelled. "What the hell are you doing!?"

The Hyrulians, who had begun to take out supplies and materials to build tents stopped and started at Zantorian. A Goron walked up to the opposite edge of the cliff, with two other Gorons behind him. The Goron in front was slightly bigger than the two behind him and had spiked hair. As well as two white strips under both his eyes and a necklace of blue, circular rocks.

"I'm with the Hyrulians," the Goron called Garboll coolly replied.

"Obviously! Why have you betrayed us Garboll? Are you like that excuse-for-a-man Dactus?"

"_King_ Dactus," Garboll corrected him. "We are here because no matter what treaty or alliance we make, we always stay true to the king of Hyrule."

"You coulda told me this when we made the treaty four years ago!"

"Yes, and for that, I apologize Zantorian. We weren't thinking that this war would happen."

"No, it's my fault. I guess shouldn't of thought that a talking rock could think! How stupid of me!" All of the shouting that Zantorian had been doing was drawing out the Gerudos. By now, there were at least a two-hundred standing on the cliffs behind Zantorian.

Frustration and anger passed over Garboll's face, but he quickly pushed it aside. "Yes, well…having this alliance with Hyrule benefits my son and people –"

"Darunia would've been fine if you stayed allied to us!" Zantorian said while interrupting Garboll. "By doing this, you've doomed your whole race!" He paused. "Who knows," he said in a calmer voice, "I may even bring back an old friend to join you on your little…escapade with Hyrule.

Garboll cocked an eyebrow, obviously not catching on to what Zantorian was saying. "You don't know who I'm talking about?" Zantorian asked, sounding hurt and offended. "Oh…I'm sure Volvagia would be very disappointed."

At the mere mention of the dragon's name, the two Gorons behind Garboll shuddered, but Garboll didn't even flinch. Instead, he laughed. "You can't possibly revive him. That would take power equivalent to that of the Goddesses'. You don't have that much power Zantorian, you barely have enough power to light a bridge on fire." Garboll smirked at his comment.

Zantorian's eye twitched in anger and he was about to lash out, but he soon regained his self-control. "Maybe Garboll…maybe. But then again, no one is certain on what will happen in ten or fifteen years. I just hope you stay alive long enough to see it." Zantorian turned around and walked towards his city.

"I hope you see the error in your ways Zantorian and forfeit this Civil War," Garboll called out.

Zantorian immediately stopped walking and clenched his fists so hard that they started bleeding. "CIVIL WAR?!" Zantorian roared and spun back around. "I hope, for your sake Garboll, that your little mountain dwelling creatures can stop me! If not, no army, no divine power…not even the Goddesses' themselves will stop me from tearing you and your race apart! There is no 'Civil War!' We are completely independent from Hyrule and anyone else! As long as a Gerudo draws breath, no one controls us…not even in death!"

Upon saying these words, the Gerudos let out a triumphant cry. All raised their weapons in the air, shook them, and cheered, with each one never being more proud to call Zantorian their leader than now. The Gerudos began shouting taunts at the Hyrulians and Gorons. They were now more certain than ever that they would win this war behind their leader.

As Zantorian walked down the narrow corridor, the Gerudos followed in suit, each one with their head held up high.

--

"Sire," Namura said while bowing, "the Hyrulians have almost completed their bridge."

"How much longer?"

"They'll be done within the hour."

Zantorian stood up from his throne. "Tell the soldiers to get into position and order the non-soldiers and children to stay inside their homes and not to come out…for anything."

Namura bowed again and left. _That's the last thing I want_, Zantorian thought. _The death of innocents._

Hyrule was well-known for it's brilliant and cunning army, but they were also known for other things as well. Most of the Hyrulian soldiers followed the Unofficial Rule of War: never attack and innocent or child, in any way, shape, or form. But, as in most armies, if the men broke this law, it went unpunished. Zantorian knew there would be innocent deaths tonight, but he wanted the causalities to remain low.

Zantorian stepped out into the dusk of the night. The sun had set, but it was still bright out enough to see clearly. He looked at his home, seeing non-soldiers and children being ushered into their homes, while the soldiers got into position.

Most of the soldiers were scattered throughout the city, in ambush positions, but a few were in the open, tricking the Hyrulian soldiers into thinking that there were only a small number of defenders. He walked towards the front lines.

--

"Are we ready?" he asked Namura.

"Yes, sire. Half of the Elite Soldiers are placed on the cliffs to jump out and ambush the Hyrulians, cutting of their escape route, while the rest are in ambush positions throughout the city. The regular soldiers are placed in the open, as you can see. Thirty women were placed at the entrance to the city, which is our first line of defense. The adrenaline crazed Hyrulian soldiers won't be able to stop in time, plus, the pushing strength of the soldiers behind them will force them to be skewered by the pikes. The second line of defense is in the middle of the city and the last is at the palace, but it won't come to that. Just a safety precaution."

Zantorian nodded. A loud crash resonated throughout the city, signifying the falling of the makeshift bridge. "So it begins," Zantorian muttered while drawing his scimitar. Namura drew two daggers, with each blade facing the ground.

Soon, the sounds of the Hyrulian charge met their ears, followed by the soldiers themselves. As predicted, the soldiers in front tried to stop, but couldn't because of the men behind them. A heap of bodies soon covered the entrance way. The Hyrulians, seeing the futility in their attack retreated back.

"Archers, forward!" a Hyrulian commander shouted. Ten archers appeared in the passage, five on their knees and five standing. Each let loose their arrows. Six Gerudo soldiers fell, with the rest backing up.

The Hyrulians charged again with a renewed fervor. Upon entering the city the Gerudos charged the Hyrulians, with Zantorian leading the charge.

Zantorian saw his first victim. He ran towards him and swung his sword upwards, parrying the Hyrulians soldiers' sword. Zantorian spun his sword around, put his palm on the butt of the sword, and thrust it through the man's chest. He yanked the sword out of the man and decapitated the man next to him.

The outcome of the battle was already favoring the Gerudos. With most of the Hyrulian soldiers dead, the Gerudos were quickly pushing them back out of the city. "Keep this up!" Zantorian shouted over the roar of the battle. "Only a little bit –"

"GORONS!" a Gerudo soldier shouted.

Zantorian turned towards the entrance to see two Gerudo women fly over the mass of fighting soldiers. Zantorian cursed and thrust his sword through the side of an advancing soldier. _That's just what we needed_, he thought. Zantorian saw a lone Goron smashing away hordes of Gerudo soldiers. Already, the Gerudos began losing ground and were being pushed further back into the city. To top it off, a squad of Hyrule's Elite Guard were advancing, but before they could cross the makeshift bridge, the Elite Gerudo Guards jumped down and fended them off. _At least that'll buy us a few minutes. Now, how do you kill a Goron?_

Zantorian bull-rushed the Goron and dodged a swipe of his massive hand. Zantorian brought his fist up and punched the Goron. "OOOOWWWW!" Zantorian yelled as he shook his hand. The Goron swung at Zantorian again, but Zantorian narrowly dodged it. Zantorian spun around to the Goron's back and tried to slice it, but he was met with the sound of metal clashing against a rock.

The Goron laughed and picked Zantorian up by the neck. Zantorian struggled to free himself, but to no avail. The Goron hurled Zantorian across the battlefield and into a nearby building. Zantorian smashed into the building, but luckily his armor took most of the blow, but the impact knocked the wind out of him. Zantorian landed on the ground and was gasping for air. He slowly heard the pounding footsteps of the Goron approaching. The Goron reeled up his fist to finish Zantorian off, but Zantorian rolled out of the way, making the Goron punch the ground.

Zantorian conjured up a fireball in his hand pushed it into the Goron's face. The Goron, shocked by the sudden move, stumbled back a few steps. The Goron wiped the ash from his face and smiled a big, toothy, white grin. The Goron swept his hand and hit Zantorian on the side. Again, Zantorian smashed into a wall. Zantorian looked up from the ground. Blood was trickling down the from his mouth and a few scrapes were noticeable on his face. More than likely, his torso was bruised from being thrown around, but he ignored the pain.

The Gerudos were nearly three-quarters of the way to the second defense line. All of the Elite Gerudo Guards abandoned their ambush spots, seeing as how desperate the Gerudos were becoming. With the help of the Elite Gerudo Guard, the Gerudos were gaining a foothold in the battle, but the Goron prevented them from pushing the Hyrulians back any further.

But there was one thing that caught his eye: a group of Hyrulian soldiers ran into a house. _THOSE BASTARDS!_ he mentally cursed. He struggled to stand up, but as soon as he did, he bolted to the house. The pain in his body seared more than ever, but the thought of what was going on in that house pushed him forward.

He shoved the curtain aside and ran into the house. He saw five Hyrulian soldiers; four were hooting and hollering, while the fifth was raping a woman. Zantorian took his scimitar and shoved into the nearest man's head. A sickening crack rang throughout the house, causing the men to look in his direction.

"GET OFF HER YOU BASTARD!" he roared. He pulled the sword out from the man's head and threw the body in the direction of the man raping the woman. He immediately jumped off and fell down, with the body on top of him.

The soldiers went to draw their swords, but before they even could, he grabbed the nearest one and stabbed him through the chest.

With their swords drawn, the three remaining men rushed Zantorian, but Zantorian side-stepped all of them, slicing one down the back in process. He now only faced the two men; the other was still in the corner, trying to get the body off him. One of the soldiers attacked Zantorian. Zantorian parried both of the man's attacks and kicked him knee in, making it stick out in a ninety degree angle. The man screamed in agony. Zantorian stabbed him through the chest, the other fled the house. He turned around to see the last man trying to escape the house.

He picked up one of the dead soldier's sword. "You know, you really shouldn't go to battle without a sword." Zantorian hurled the sword at the man. Just as he was about to leave the house, the sword struck him through the neck.

Zantorian looked to see if the woman was okay, but immediately turned away. One of the soldiers had stabbed her through the chest, probably when he was distracted with the others, he figured.

He turned to leave the house and join the battle was more. _Something about this house is fami–…OH MY GODESSES! THIS IS MY HOUSE! _He spun around and ran towards the woman. He dropped his scimitar as he reached her. "No…mother." He took a few steps back and nearly collapsed on the ground, only catching himself by another doorway. He walked back towards his mother, gently pulled the sword out of her with a sickening sound, and cradled her in his arms. The sounds of the battle faded from his reality. All that was there were him and his mother. He held her close to him. "I was here when you were still alive…I coulda saved you," he struggled to say. "I…I was so close. This couldn't have happened," he said in denial.

He pulled back the body, only to be hit with the inevitable truth that it was his mother. He looked at her. His armor and hands were stained with her blood. "No…no." Zantorian's life, as he knew it, was crumbling around him. The ones he thought friends, are now enemies, he was a split second from saving his mother's life. He laid her back down on the bed.

"No," he muttered. "No! NO!" he cried in fury. "This couldn't have happened!" he screamed while punching a wall, leaving a few cracks. "I was so!…Dactus," he growled. "DAMN HIM! DAMN THE GORONS! DAMN ALL OF HYRULE! THEY WILL ALL SUFFER AND PAY! EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!" Zantorian's rage kept building and building. A faint black aura glowed around him and then vanished as quickly as it came. He began pacing his house. "I WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!" The aura grew stronger with each passing word. "…starting…with Dactus!"

By now the aura was completely glowing around him. It wasn't a heavenly aura though. It came off him like a fire in slow motion and was as black as the night. He forgot all about his scimitar and stepped back into the battle.

He grabbed the nearest Hyrulian soldier and punched him in the stomach. The soldier flew across the battlefield and a loud crack was heard, telling that the man broke his spine.

"Back for more, little human?" the Goron asked while walking up to Zantorian, completely ignoring the fact the he was emitting a black radiance.

The Goron reeled up his fist and tried to punch Zantorian, but Zantorian caught the punch with one hand. The Goron let out a confused "Huh?" "Not today Goron," Zantorian said. Zantorian pulled back his own fist and punched the Goron in the stomach. This time, the Goron was sent flying back and smashed into a wall, with an ear-shattering boom.

All fighting stopped as the soldiers looked at the Goron. His stomach was completely cracked. The Goron tried to lift his head up, but it immediately fell back down; his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

The soldiers turned their eyes towards Zantorian, who still had his fist outstretched. He opened his hand and a whirling noise became audible. He then quickly closed his hand and a black beam shot out about three feet from his and stopped; he began walking.

All soldiers moved out of Zantorian's way, everyone was unsure and afraid of what to expect…even the Gerudos. He walked for a few seconds and stopped. With god-like speed, he swung his black sword ten times in ten different directions. A few seconds later, ten Hyrulian soldiers fell…dead. On the ground, a mortal wound came into focus on each of the soldiers. Seeing this, all of the remaining Hyrulian soldiers began to flee, with Zantorian slowly walking after them.

By the time Zantorian had reached the entrance to Gerudo Valley, most of the soldiers had gone, but there were a few left. He waved his hand in front of the soldiers. As soon as he did this, a black barrier came up, preventing the remaining fifteen soldiers from escaping. The soldiers tried to break the barrier, but to no avail. In a final act of desperation, they set the bridge on fire. Zantorian walked to the edge of the cliff and watched the remains of the bridge fall down into the abyss below.

All he did was laugh. A laugh that could make the hairs stand up on even the strongest of men. He continued to walk. Certain that he would fall off the edge, some Hyrulians let out a sigh of relief, but this didn't happen; he kept walking. For every footstep on open air, a black ring encompassed the bottom of his foot.

The Hyrulians began beating on the barrier again. Soon after, they heard foot connecting with rock and turned around to see Zantorian standing there, with his head to the ground. He looked up and, instead of seeing two normal eyes they saw two black eyes, emitting the same aura that was around his body. Again, he laughed.

In the night air, all that was heard were fifteen separate, bloodcurdling screams.

--

_And so it begins. The final straw, if you will, was his mother. Of course, you didn't know that. That's the one thing about history that's bad: it's always written by the victors. The full story is never told. It told the way you know it to make our cause look justifiable, like he was a ruthless man from the day of birth. He was pushed to the breaking point…and we're the ones who pushed him off._

_This…was the beginning of the end._

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Zelda related characters / places / themes / etc.. Only _original_ names, characters, themes, and places.


	5. March Towards Freedom

**Through a Nightmare Darkly**

**Chapter 5: March Towards Freedom**

--

The Gerudo Army rushed to the front of the canyon after the screams had subsided. They saw Zantorian breathing heavily, slightly hunched over and looking at the ground, with the black barrier in front of him. After a few minutes, he drew up to his full height and stared at the black mass.

A small swirl began to spin in the barrier, slowly growing bigger with each passing second until it was a big as Zantorian. The portal began spinning faster and faster and then…it returned back to its steady pace.

Faint breathing was soon heard and a figure began to emerge. A horse, as black as the void it came from with glowing red eyes walked towards Zantorian, stopping a couple of feet in front of him. The horse, who was already geared up with an ornate saddle and sword strapped to the side of it, was larger and much more muscular than the average Hyrulian horse.

Zantorian smiled. "Shadowbane, you serve me now."

The horse waited a few seconds before snorting, accepting Zantorian as its master. Again, Zantorian smiled and mounted the horse.

"Today is their last day," Zantorian's haunting voice echoed. "The Hyrulians have marched on _our_ land and spilled _our _blood on it. They killed our friends, murdered our families, and mercilessly slaughtered those who we hold dear. Today is the last day that a Hyrulian will ever set foot upon Gerudo lands, unless deemed worthy.

"It all ends today," he continued. "We will march on their lands and make them pay for their treachery and deceit." He drew the double-edged sword that was attached to the saddle. It gleamed menacingly in the moonlight.

"We will not conquer lands, we will not claim Hyrule to be ours, but we will do what they have done to us tonight!" The barrier behind him dissipated. "Now join me, on our march through Hyrule!" A bridge, made of the same substance that the barrier was made of formed in front of Zantorian, spanning the chasm.

"We will claim freedom from their wretched hands! Onward my sisters!" he spun the horse around to face the entrance to Gerudo Valley. He pointed his sword in the direction of Hyrule, "To war! To freedom! To revenge!"

The Gerudo soldiers let out a war cry before following Zantorian's march to Hyrule.

--

Zantorian's Army rode through night; swiftly and silently. Zantorian skid Shadowbane to a halt as a village came into view. The army was surprised at the sudden move and nearly rode past him. He turned his horse and began riding among the ranks of the Gerudo Horsewomen.

"Tonight, we begin our revenge and our march or terror on this pathetic land." His voice echoed over the ranks of the Gerudo, instilling courage and anger with each word. "This land is dotted with hundreds Hyrulian villages; we will raid each and every one of them. The first will be the village Nathasa," he beckoned to the warmly lit village behind him.

He twirled his sword above his head. "Now ride, my sisters! Pay the Hyrulians back for their treachery! Charge!"

Zantorian's Army rushed wildly for the village, the night sky making the army nearly invisible.

The once peaceful and sleeping village was awakened by the sounds of the army. Panic and fear drove families from their homes, stupidity and bravery caused most village men to try and hold the army at bay, while their families escaped.

The Gerudos showed no mercy for the Hyrulians. Most of the defending men fell within the first charge; only the skilled held their ground, and even then, their efforts were suicidal.

It took only minutes before the whole village was ablaze, lighting up the once peaceful night sky. Zantorian's face was twisted up in anger and hatred; his sword found marks each time he swung it.

The image of his dead mother flashing through his mind each time he swung, only adding intensity to when he thrust and swung his sword, when all of a sudden, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, only confirming his suspicions: a Hyrulian women was running for the Lost Woods. Zantorian laughed out loud at the sight.

"_What a stupid woman. She's better off dying by my blade then by the creatures of the Lost Woods."_ He raised his hand and cast a purple ball of energy towards the woman: it struck her square in the back. She tumbled head over heals and dropped the baby she was carrying. The woman lay there for a few seconds before crawling to her baby. She picked it up and continued crawling to the Lost Woods.

Zantorian laughed again. _"She seems so eager to die there. I think I'll let."_ His thoughts turned away from the woman as he sheathed his sword in a nearby defender.

--

_This is what Hyrulian Scholars mark as the beginning of the Hyrulian Civil War, or what the Gerudos call their _March Towards Freedom_. Many of you might be wondering of what became of the woman and child. They died; well, at least the mother did. The boy, as legend tells it, would be raised by the great forest spirit himself and grow up become the legendary Hero of Time; the one who ultimately defeated Ganondorf._

_Not killing that woman can truly be called Ganon's second mistake. And yes, you read that correctly, his _second_ mistake. His first mistake was letting the power and corruption of his magic get the better of him. But we'll leave that for a later chapter..._

--

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Wow, sorry about the wait for the update. It's just that I've started taking college classes and my schedule has become pretty tight. But don't worry, I can promise you that this story will continue on till the end!

Now, for the story. I'm not sure I really like this chapter that much (especially the fact that it's the shortest chapter with such a long wait for an update). I felt as if I kinda rushed it, like I didn't give you enough detail, or I left you hanging at some parts. Most of all, I feel that this story is getting pretty bizarre, like it's becoming more of a supernatural-type story than anything else. I hope that that's not the case, and, if it is, I'll do my best to swing it off that path.

Well, let me know what you think of it and, especially, constructive criticism is _always_ welcome!


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